Dr. Bill Wood Advocates Inclusive Clinical Trials at White House Forum
William (Bill) Wood, MD, MPH, professor of medicine in the UNC Division of Hematology, was invited to the White House Clinical Trials Forum in June. Representing the University of North Carolina (UNC) and Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Wood shared his perspectives as the Medical Director of UNC Cancer Navigation and Senior Medical Advisor to the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Research Collaborative.
The White House Clinical Trials Forum convened key leaders in science, healthcare, and patient advocacy to tackle pressing issues in clinical trials. Organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the event aimed to highlight innovative approaches to making clinical trials more inclusive and accessible to all Americans.
Addressing Health Inequities
The OSTP director emphasized that despite the United States being one of the wealthiest countries, it faces unacceptable health inequities. Numerous countries boast longer life expectancies, underscoring the need for inclusive clinical trials that reflect the nation’s diverse population. This inclusivity is essential for developing effective interventions. The forum focused on addressing these inequities through comprehensive discussions and strategic takeaways.
Dr. Bill Wood’s Contributions
Dr. Wood described the discussions at the forum as robust and energizing. He was pleased to share his perspective on transforming the healthcare delivery system into an evidence generation system. Among his key recommendations were:
- Integrating Routine Care Data: Routine care delivery data and clinical documentation should be harnessed to support evidence generation.
- Empowering Clinicians and Patients: Both clinicians and patients should be empowered as independent research agents within the evidence-generation enterprise. This approach would be strengthened by mutually reinforcing clinician and patient communities that drive evidence-generation ideas and execution.
- Establishing a National Real-World Data Stream: A national real-world data stream is crucial for supporting efficient and scalable evidence generation aligned with national priorities.
- Identifying Trusted Research Partners: Trusted partners should be identified to host a research infrastructure that spans care delivery sites, effectively engaging both clinician and patient communities.
Building a National Evidence Generation System
Dr. Wood emphasized the importance of collaboration in building a national evidence generation system to meet patients’ needs. The forum’s discussions underscored the need for a unified approach to overcome health inequities and improve clinical trial accessibility and inclusivity.
Together, these efforts can transform the U.S. healthcare system, ensuring that clinical trials and the resulting evidence benefit all Americans.
EIN Presswire does not exercise editorial control over third-party content provided, uploaded, published, or distributed by users of EIN Presswire. We are a distributor, not a publisher, of 3rd party content. Such content may contain the views, opinions, statements, offers, and other material of the respective users, suppliers, participants, or authors.
